All Environment
Amid energy crisis, a need to define and promote innovationToday鈥檚 energy technologies won鈥檛 be able to propel the world to deep reductions in global carbon emissions, Stepp writes, but improving energy innovation and developing new designs can.
EPA squelches soot. First step in a deluge of regulations?The US Environmental Protection Agency has imposed stricter standards on soot 鈥� or fine-particle pollution. Critics charge it's the beginning of a 'regulatory cliff.'
Exxon: US energy production surge to continueThe energy production revival in the United States will continue into the far future, according to a report released this week by fuel giant Exxon.
Three ways utilities can lead energy innovationAs new and disruptive vendors, technologies, and business models enter the market, many utilities have seemed unsure about what their role is or should be. Here are three roles utility companies can play to help spur energy innovation.
SolarCity IPO: How it beat the solar curseSolarCity defied a trend of failing solar IPOs Thursday when its share prices soared nearly 50 percent on its first day of trading. What's behind the succes of the SolarCity IPO?
West Virginia gas pipeline explosion 鈥� just a drop in the disaster bucketThe West Virginia gas pipeline explosion follows several high profile natural gas accidents and a rapid increase nationally in pipeline mileage 鈥� even as federal oversight appears to lag.
SolarCity IPO share price slashed. Cloudy skies ahead for solar?SolarCity IPO saw a steep price cut Wednesday. SolarCity is one of the leading US installers of residential solar panels, so why are investors getting cold feet?
Enbridge set to invest $6.28 billion in oil pipelineEnergy firm Enbridge has announced it will go ahead with its investment of $6.28 billion in expanding the system of pipelines that transport crude from locations in Canada and the United States around North America, according to Consumer Energy Report.
West Virginia natural gas explosion wipes out homes and I-77West Virginia explosion of a natural gas line wiped out a wide swath of Interstate 77 and flattened homes. No deaths were caused by the West Virginia natural gas explosion, and federal and state authorities are investigating the cause.聽
A123 sale to China: threat to US security?The sale of advanced battery maker A123 to China's Wanxiang Group could recoup US taxpayer funds. But critics warn the threats to US security outweigh any benefits from the pending sale of A123. 聽
Why gas prices rise fast, fall slowly 鈥� and how you can profitGasoline prices rise faster than they fall. That creates short-term opportunities to invest in oil refiners, if you know what to look for.
Is Chicago a new cleantech hub?The recently-announced聽Joint Center for Energy Storage Research in suburban Chicago聽arguably leapfrogs the Windy City into the top echelon of cleantech technology research clusters, Stuebi writes.
Gas prices crash? Prices drop 10 cents in three weeksGas prices crash? The average price of gasoline in the US has dropped 10 cents in the past three weeks, and it may be going lower.聽
Nations extend weaker Kyoto ProtocolUN climate conference approves extending Kyoto global-warming agreement through 2020. But new Kyoto phase will cover only 15 percent of greenhouse gases.
Leveraging energy: why China succeeds where the US failsCountries like China and India which leverage their oil use to a greater extent with more coal use are less affected by a rise in oil prices 鈥� Tverberg writes. It's one reason why jobs are moving to China and India, and away from the US.
Stubborn US drought could be costlier than hurricane SandyAs drought conditions persist across the South, hitting farmers and ranchers, parts of the Mississippi River are on the verge of becoming unnavigable. The potential costs are large.聽
India tests ways to help farmers cope with climate changeConcerns about how climate change may be affecting India are bringing fresh urgency 鈥� and funding 鈥� to longstanding challenges in sustainable agriculture.
Heating oil: a last stand in the Northeast?The gap between heating oil and natural gas prices is the largest in at least a decade, causing Northeast homeowners to convert to natural gas.- Cheapest way to heat your home? Four fuels compared. Not all home heating fuels are created equal. Here's what it would cost to heat the average home in the Northeast with oil, natural gas, electricity, and propane, as forecast by the Energy Information Administration (EIA):
Should US export natural gas? Study for DOE fuels fiery debate.According to the study, global market conditions are not yet ripe for US natural gas exports, but when they are, the exports would benefit the economy. A key issue is how that benefit is shared.